Central America is a

subregion A subregion is a part of a larger geographical region or continent. Cardinal directions are commonly used to define subregions. There are many criteria for creating systems of subregions; this article is focusing on the United Nations geoschem ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

to the north,

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

to the southeast, the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

to the east, and the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries:

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

. Within Central America is the

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

biodiversity hotspot A biodiversity hotspot is a ecoregion, biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in ''The Environmentalist'' in 1988 and 1990, after ...

, which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the

Central America Volcanic Arc The Central American Volcanic Arc (often abbreviated to CAVA) is a chain of volcanoes which extends parallel to the Pacific coastline of the Central American Isthmus, from Mexico to Panama. This volcanic arc, which has a length of 1,100 kilomete ...

, there is a high amount of seismic activity in the region, such as

volcanic eruption A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior h ...

s and earthquakes, which has resulted in death, injury, and property damage. Most of Central America falls under the Isthmo-Colombian cultural area. Before the Spanish expedition of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

' voyages to the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

, hundreds of indigenous peoples made their homes in the area. From the year 1502 onwards, Spain began their

colonization 475px, Map of the year each country achieved List of sovereign states by date of formation, independence. Colonization (British English: colonisation) is a process of establishing occupation of or control over foreign territories or peoples f ...

. From 1609 to 1821, the majority of Central American territories (except for what would become Belize and Panama and including the modern Mexican state of

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

) were governed by the viceroyalty of

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

from

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

as the

Captaincy General of Guatemala The Captaincy General of Guatemala (), also known as the Kingdom of Guatemala (), was an administrative division of the Spanish Empire, under the viceroyalty of New Spain in Central America, including present-day Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras ...

. On 24 August 1821, Spanish Viceroy

Juan de O'Donojú ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...

signed the

Treaty of Córdoba The Treaty of Córdoba established Mexican independence from Spain at the conclusion of the Mexican War of Independence. It was signed on August 24, 1821 in Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. The signatories were the head of the Army of the Three Guar ...

, which established New Spain's independence and autonomy from mainland Spain. On 15 September, the

Act of Independence of Central America The Act of Independence of Central America (), also known as the Act of Independence of Guatemala, is the legal document by which the Provincial Council of the Province of Guatemala proclaimed the independence of Central America from the Spanish ...

was enacted to announce Central America's separation from the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

. Some of New Spain's provinces in the Central American region were invaded and annexed to the

First Mexican Empire The Mexican Empire (, ) was a constitutional monarchy and the first independent government of Mexico. It was also the only former viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire to establish a monarchy after gaining independence. The empire existed from 18 ...

; however in 1823 they seceded from Mexico to form the

Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America (), initially known as the United Provinces of Central America (), was a sovereign state in Central America that existed between 1823 and 1839/1841. The republic was composed of five states (Costa Rica ...

until 1838. In 1838, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua became the first of Central America's seven states to become independent countries, followed by El Salvador in 1841, Panama in 1903, and Belize in 1981. Despite the dissolution of the

, the five remaining countries, save for Panama and Belize, all preserved and maintained a Central American identity. The

Spanish-speaking countries The following is a list of countries where Spanish is an official language, plus several countries where Spanish language, Spanish or any language closely related to it, is an important or significant language. There are 20 UN member states whe ...

officially include both North America and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

as a single continent, , which is split into four subregions: Central America,

The Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America to the west, a ...

(a.k.a. the

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

), North America (

and

Northern America Northern America is the northernmost subregion of North America, as well as the northernmost region in the Americas. The boundaries may be drawn significantly differently depending on the source of the definition. In one definition, it lies dir ...

), and South America.

Definitions

"Central America" may mean different things to various people, based upon different contexts: * The

United Nations geoscheme for the Americas The United Nations geoscheme is a system that divides 248 countries and territories in the world into six continental regions, 22 geographical subregions, and two intermediary regions. It was devised by the United Nations Statistics Division ...

defines ''Central America'' as all states of mainland North America south of the United States, hence grouping Mexico as a part of Central America for statistics purposes, but historically and politically Mexico is considered North American. * Middle America is usually thought to comprise

in the north and the seven states of ''Central America'' in the south, as well as the

in the east.

and

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Caribbean South America Caribbean South America is a subregion of South America that borders the Caribbean Sea, consisting of the Caribbean region of Colombia and the Venezuelan Caribbean. Significant cities and metropolitan areas with populations over 250,000 on S ...

are sometimes included in this subregion. The

is occasionally excluded from this subregion while

The Guianas The Guianas, also spelled Guyanas or Guayanas, are a geographical region in north-eastern South America. Strictly, the term refers to the three Guianas: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, formerly British, Dutch, and French Guiana respectiv ...

are infrequently included. According to one source, the term "Central America" was used as a synonym for " Middle America" at least as recently as 1962. * In

Ibero-America Ibero-America (, ) or Iberian America is generally considered to be the region in the Americas comprising countries or territories where Spanish or Portuguese are predominant languages (usually former colony, territories of Spain or Portugal). Sp ...

(Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking American countries), the

are considered a single continent (América), and Central America is considered a

of the

continent A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...

comprising the seven countries south of Mexico and north of Colombia. * For the people living in the five countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, formerly parts of the

, there is a distinction between the Spanish language terms "América Central" and "Centroamérica". While both can be translated into English as "Central America", "América Central" is generally used to refer to the geographical area of the seven countries between

and

, while "Centroamérica" is used when referring to the former members of the Federation emphasizing the shared culture and history of the region. * In Portuguese as a rule and occasionally in Spanish and other languages, the entirety of the

Antilles The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The Antillean islands are divided into two smaller groupings: the Greater An ...

is often included in the definition of Central America. Indeed, the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

is a full member of the

Central American Integration System The Central American Integration System (, or SICA) has been the economic and political organization of Central American states since 1 February 1993. On 13 December 1991, the ODECA countries (Spanish: ''Organización de Estados Centroamericano ...

History

File:Tikal Temple1 2006 08 11.JPG,

Tikal Tikal (; ''Tik'al'' in modern Mayan orthography) is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the Pre-Col ...

, Guatemala File:HuellasdeAcahualinca.jpg,

Ancient footprints of Acahualinca The Ancient footprints of Acahualinca (; ) exist in Managua, Nicaragua near the southern shore of Lake Managua. The region was once called "El Cauce". The tracks are fossil Late Holocene human footprints left behind in volcanic ash and mud, whic ...

, Nicaragua File:Stone spheres of Costa Rica. Museo Nacional.jpg,

Stone spheres of Costa Rica The stone spheres of Costa Rica are an assortment of over 300 Stone ball, petrospheres in Costa Rica, on the Diquís Delta and on Isla del Caño. Locally, they are also known as (). The spheres are commonly attributed to the extinct Diquís cult ...

File:Tazumal 10.jpg,

Tazumal Tazumal () is a pre-Columbian archeological site in Chalchuapa, El Salvador. Tazumal is an architectural complex within the larger area of the ancient Mesoamerican city of Chalchuapa, in western El Salvador. The Tazumal group is located in the ...

, El Salvador File:Copan HG-Treppe.jpg, Copan, Honduras File:Altun Ha Belize.jpg,

Altun Ha Altun Ha is the name given to the ruins of an ancient Maya city in Belize, located in the Belize District about north of Belize City and about west of the shore of the Caribbean Sea. The site covers an area of about . Stones from the ruins o ...

, Belize

Central America was formed more than 3 million years ago, as part of the

Isthmus of Panama The Isthmus of Panama, historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North America, North and South America. The country of Panama is located on the i ...

, when its portion of land connected each side of water. In the

Pre-Columbian era In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

, the northern areas of Central America were inhabited by the

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

peoples of

. Most notable among these were the

Mayans Maya () are an ethnolinguistic group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived w ...

, who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the

Aztec The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the Post-Classic stage, post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central ...

s, who had created a vast empire. The pre-Columbian cultures of eastern El Salvador, eastern Honduras, Caribbean Nicaragua, most of Costa Rica and Panama were predominantly speakers of the

Chibchan languages The Chibchan languages (also known as Chibchano) make up a language family indigenous to the Isthmo-Colombian Area, which extends from eastern Honduras to northern Colombia and includes populations of these countries as well as Nicaragua, Costa R ...

at the time of European contact and are considered by some culturally different and grouped in the Isthmo-Colombian Area. Following the Spanish expedition of

's voyages to the Americas, the Spanish sent many expeditions to the region, and they began their conquest of Maya territory in 1523. Soon after the

conquest of the Aztec Empire The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire was a pivotal event in the history of the Americas, marked by the collision of the Aztec Triple Alliance and the Spanish Empire. Taking place between 1519 and 1521, this event saw the Spanish conquistad ...

, Spanish

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

Pedro de Alvarado Pedro de Alvarado (; 1485 – 4 July 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, ''conquistador'', ''adelantado,'' governor and Captaincy General of Guatemala, captain general of Guatemala.Lovell, Lutz and Swezey 1984, p. 461. He participated in the c ...

commenced the conquest of northern Central America for the

. Beginning with his arrival in

Soconusco Soconusco is a region in the southwest corner of the state of Chiapas in southeastern Mexico along its border with Guatemala. It is a narrow strip of land wedged between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It is the sout ...

in 1523, Alvarado's forces systematically conquered and subjugated most of the major Maya kingdoms, including the K'iche', Tz'utujil,

Pipil Pipil may refer to: *Pipil people, Nahua people of western El Salvador *Pipil language (Nawat) **Pipil grammar **Pipil language (typological overview) {{Disambig ...

, and the Kaqchikel. By 1528, the conquest of Guatemala was nearly complete, with only the

Petén Basin The Petén Basin is a geographical subregion of the Maya Lowlands, primarily located in northern Guatemala within the Department of El Petén, and into the state of Campeche in southeastern Mexico. During the Late Preclassic and Classic periods ...

remaining outside the Spanish sphere of influence. The last independent Maya kingdoms – the

Kowoj The Kowoj oʔwox(also recorded as ''Ko'woh'', ''Couoh'', ''Coguo'', ''Cohuo'', ''Kob'ow'' and ''Kob'ox'', and ''Kowo'') was a Maya civilization, Maya group and polity, from the Late Postclassic period (ca. 1250–1697) of Mesoamerican chrono ...

and the

Itza people The Itza are a Maya ethnic group descendants of the Chanes Maya, Chanes from the Chontal Maya, Chontal region of Tabasco from where they made a historic migration arriving at Bacalar and northern Yucatán during the 10th century, then they arri ...

– were finally defeated in 1697, as part of the

Spanish conquest of Petén The Spanish conquest of Petén was the last stage of the Spanish conquest of Guatemala, conquest of Guatemala, a prolonged conflict during the Spanish colonisation of the Americas. A wide lowland plain covered with dense rainforest, Petén co ...

. In 1538, Spain established the

Real Audiencia of Panama The Royal Audience and Chancery of Panama in Tierra Firme () was a governing body and superior court in the New World empire of Spain. The ''Audiencia'' of Panama was the third American '' audiencia'' after the ones of Santo Domingo and Mexico. ...

, which had jurisdiction over all land from the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

to the

Gulf of Fonseca The Gulf of Fonseca (; ), a part of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America, bordering El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The waters of the gulf are shared among all three countries. History Fonseca Bay was discovered by European ...

. This entity was dissolved in 1543, and most of the territory within Central America then fell under the jurisdiction of the '' Audiencia Real de Guatemala''. This area included the current territories of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Mexican state of

, but excluded the lands that would become Belize and Panama. The president of the Audiencia, which had its seat in

Antigua Guatemala Antigua Guatemala (), commonly known as Antigua or La Antigua, is a city in the Guatemalan Highlands, central highlands of Guatemala. The city was the capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1543 through 1773, with much of its Baroque- ...

, was the governor of the entire area. In 1609 the area became a

captaincy general The Captaincy General was a division of a viceroyalty in Spanish or Portuguese colonial administration. Captaincies general were established districts that were under threat from foreign invasion or attack from indigenous peoples. Their gove ...

and the governor was also granted the title of captain general. The

encompassed most of Central America, with the exception of present-day Belize and Panama. The Captaincy General of Guatemala lasted for more than two centuries, but began to fray after a rebellion in 1811 which began in the

Intendancy of San Salvador The Intendancy of San Salvador () was an administrative division of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, itself an administrative division of the Viceroyalty of New Spain which was a part of the Spanish Empire. The intendancy was formed in 17 ...

. The Captaincy General formally ended on 15 September 1821, with the signing of the

. Mexican independence was achieved at virtually the same time with the signing of the

and the

Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire Declaration may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * Declaration (book), ''Declaration'' (book), a self-published electronic pamphlet by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri * The Declaration (novel), ''The Declaration'' (novel), a 2 ...

, and the entire region was finally independent from Spanish authority by 28 September 1821. Slavery in Central America was a key component of the colonial economies established by Spain from the early 16th century. While Indigenous peoples were the initial targets of forced labor systems such as the encomienda, the catastrophic population decline caused by disease and exploitation led to the increasing importation of enslaved Africans. The transatlantic slave trade brought hundreds of thousands of Africans to the region, particularly to present-day Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica, to labor in mining, agriculture, and domestic service. African slavery in Central America was concentrated in port cities, mining regions, and plantation zones. Panama, with its strategic location as a transit point between the Atlantic and Pacific, became an early hub for African slave importation as early as the 1510s. Enslaved people were used to build infrastructure, carry goods across the isthmus, and work in emerging urban centers. In Honduras, enslaved Africans were brought to support mining operations in Olancho and agriculture along the northern coast, where they mixed with Indigenous and later Garífuna populations (a people of mixed African and Indigenous descent). Guatemala also had a significant enslaved population in its early colonial history, particularly in the sugar-producing areas of Escuintla. African slavery in Central America left enduring cultural, demographic, and social legacies. By the 18th century, the importation of African slaves had declined, and free Afro-descendant populations grew through manumission, escape (maroon communities), and intermarriage. Slavery was gradually abolished in the 19th century following independence from Spain. Guatemala formally ended slavery in 1824, Costa Rica in 1824, El Salvador in 1825, Honduras in 1824, and Nicaragua in 1824. However, forms of coerced Indigenous labor persisted well beyond formal abolition. Modern Afro-descendant communities across Central America, including Afro-Costa Ricans, Afro-Nicaraguans, Afro-Hondurans, Afro-Panamanians, and Afro-Guatemalans. They part the legacy of this complex history of enslavement, resistance, and cultural resilience. It is a well-established historical fact that approximately 1.3 million enslaved Africans were taken to Spanish Central Americ

https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477322802/?utm_source=chatgpt.co

https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/african-slavery-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-9780195189421?utm_source=chatgpt.co

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/09/atlantic-slave-trade-history-animated-interactive.html#:~:text=This%20was%20dwarfed%20by%20the%201.3%20million,and%20the%204.8%20million%20brought%20to%20Brazil.] Unidas Del Centro de America Provincias Plaque

Unidas Del Centro de America Provincias Plaque

From its independence from Spain in 1821 until 1823, the former Captaincy General Central America under Mexican rule, remained intact as part of the short-lived

. When the

Emperor of Mexico The Emperor of Mexico () was the head of state and head of government of Mexico on two non-consecutive occasions during the 19th century. With the Mexican Declaration of Independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico briefly became an independent mon ...

abdicated on 19 March 1823, Central America again became independent. On 1 July 1823, the Congress of Central America peacefully seceded from Mexico and declared absolute independence from all foreign nations, and the region formed the

. The Federal Republic of Central America, initially known as the United Provinces of Central America, was a sovereign state that existed from 1823 to 1840. It was composed of five states: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The federation was established after these regions declared independence from Spain in 1821 and briefly joined the Mexican Empire before breaking away to form their own union. The republic adopted a constitution in 1824, which was inspired by the federal system of the United States. It provided for a federal capital, initially located in Guatemala City, and a president for each of the five constituent states. The constitution abolished slavery and maintained the privileges of the Roman Catholic Church, while restricting suffrage to the upper classes. The territory that now makes up Belize was heavily contested in a dispute that continued for decades after Guatemala achieved independence. Spain, and later Guatemala, considered this land a Guatemalan department. In 1862, Britain formally declared it a British colony and named it

British Honduras British Honduras was a Crown colony on the east coast of Central America — specifically located on the southern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony — renamed Belize from June 1973

. It became independent as Belize in 1981. Panama, situated in the southernmost part of Central America on the

, has for most of its history been culturally and politically linked to South America. Panama was part of the

Province of Tierra Firme During Spain's New World Empire, its mainland coastal possessions surrounding the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico were referred to collectively as the Spanish Main. The southern portion of these coastal possessionsthe northern portion of ...

from 1510 until 1538 when it came under the jurisdiction of the newly formed ''Audiencia Real de Panama''. Beginning in 1543, Panama was administered as part of the

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru (), officially known as the Kingdom of Peru (), was a Monarchy of Spain, Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in ...

, along with all other Spanish possessions in South America. Panama remained as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1739, when it was transferred to the

Viceroyalty of New Granada The Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada ( ), also called Viceroyalty of New Granada or Viceroyalty of Santa Fe, was the name given on 27 May 1717 to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in northern South America, corresponding to modern ...

, the capital of which was located at Santa Fé de Bogotá. Panama remained as part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada until the disestablishment of that viceroyalty in 1819. A series of military and political struggles took place from that time until 1822, the result of which produced the republic of

Gran Colombia Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...

. After the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830, Panama became part of a successor state, the

Republic of New Granada The Republic of New Granada was a Centralism, centralist unitary republic consisting primarily of present-day Colombia and Panama with smaller portions of today's Costa Rica, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil that existed from 1831 to 1858. ...

. From 1855 until 1886, Panama existed as

Panama State The Panama State, officially known as the Federal State of PanamaBiblioteca Nacional de PanamáConstitución política del Estado de Panamá de 1855Constitución política del Estado soberano de Panamá de 1863/ref> from 1855 to 1863, and as the ...

, first within the Republic of New Granada, then within the

Granadine Confederation The Granadine Confederation () was a short-lived federal republic established in 1858 as a result of a constitutional change replacing the Republic of New Granada. It consisted of the present-day nations of Colombia and Panama and parts of north ...

, and finally within the

United States of Colombia The United States of Colombia () was the name adopted in 1863 by the for the Granadine Confederation, after years of civil war. Colombia became a federal state itself composed of nine "sovereign states.” It comprised the present-day nat ...

. The United States of Colombia was replaced by the

Republic of Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuela to the east and northeast ...

in 1886. As part of the Republic of Colombia, Panama State was abolished and it became the Isthmus Department. Despite the many political reorganizations, Colombia was still deeply plagued by conflict, which eventually led to the secession of Panama on 3 November 1903. Only after that time did some begin to regard Panama as a North or Central American entity. By the 1930s the

United Fruit Company The United Fruit Company (later the United Brands Company) was an American multinational corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas) grown on Latin American plantations and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was ...

owned of land in Central America and the Caribbean and was the single largest land owner in Guatemala. Such holdings gave it great power over the governments of small countries. That was one of the factors that led to the coining of the phrase

banana republic In political science, the term ''banana republic'' describes a politically and economically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the export of natural resource.A banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, where th ...

. After more than two hundred years of social unrest, violent conflict, and revolution, Central America today remains in a period of political transformation. Poverty, social injustice, and violence are still widespread. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, after Haiti.

Flags of modern Central America

File:Flag of Guatemala.svg,

File:Flag of El Salvador.svg,

File:Flag of Honduras.svg,

File:Flag of Nicaragua.svg,

File:Flag of Costa Rica.svg,

File:Flag of Panama.svg,

File:Flag of Belize.svg,

Coats of arms of modern Central America

File:Coat of arms of Guatemala.svg,

File:Coat of arms of El Salvador.svg,

File:Coat of arms of Honduras.svg,

File:Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg,

File:Coat of arms of Costa Rica.svg,

File:Coat of arms of Panama.svg,

File:Coat of arms of Belize.svg,

Geography

Central America is a part of

consisting of a tapering isthmus running from the southern extent of Mexico to the northwestern portion of

. Central America has the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

, a body of water within the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

, to the north; the Caribbean Sea, also part of the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast; and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Some physiographists define the

Isthmus of Tehuantepec The Isthmus of Tehuantepec () is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Before the opening of the Panama Canal, it was a major overland transport route known simply as the T ...

as the northern geographic border of Central America, while others use the northwestern borders of Belize and Guatemala. From there, the Central American land mass extends southeastward to the

Atrato River The Atrato River () is a river of northwestern Colombia. It rises in the slopes of the Western Cordillera and flows almost due north to the Gulf of Urabá (or Gulf of Darién), where it forms a large, swampy delta. Its course crosses the Ch ...

, where it connects to the Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America. Central America has over 70 active volcanoes, 41 which are located in El Salvador, and Guatemala. The volcano with the most activity in Central America is Santa María. Still experiencing frequent eruptions to this day, with the last one beginning in 2013, and still is going on to this day. Of the many mountain ranges within Central America, the longest are the

Sierra Madre de Chiapas The Sierra Madre is a major mountain range in Central America. It is known as the Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Mexico. It crosses El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. The Sierra Madre is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ...

, the Cordillera Isabelia and the

Cordillera de Talamanca The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies in the southeast half of Costa Rica and the far west of Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two ...

. At ,

Volcán Tajumulco Volcán Tajumulco is a large stratovolcano in the department of San Marcos in western Guatemala. It is the highest mountain in Central America at . It is part of the mountain range of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, which begins in Mexico's southe ...

is the highest peak in Central America. Other high points of Central America are as listed in the table below: CAmerica

Between the mountain ranges lie fertile valleys that are suitable for the raising of livestock and for the production of coffee, tobacco, beans and other crops. Most of the population of Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala lives in valleys.

Trade winds The trade winds or easterlies are permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere ...

have a significant effect upon the climate of Central America. Temperatures in Central America are highest just prior to the summer wet season, and are lowest during the winter dry season, when trade winds contribute to a cooler climate. The highest temperatures occur in April, due to higher levels of sunlight, lower cloud cover and a decrease in trade winds.

Biodiversity

Central American forests

File:Rain forest of Petén in Guatemala.jpg,

Petén–Veracruz moist forests The Petén–Veracruz moist forests is an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest biome found in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Setting The Petén–Veracruz moist forests cover an area of , extending from central Verac ...

, Guatemala File:Forest canopy in Belize (5344010084).jpg, Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Belize File:Zona de Acampar Parque Montecristo.jpg,

Montecristo National Park Montecristo National Park is a large national park centered on the Montecristo cloud forest in Mesoamerica. Montecristo National Park is located in the north-western tip of El Salvador, a country in Central America Central America is a su ...

, El Salvador File:Altagracia Volcan Maderas Bosque Nuboso.jpg,

Maderas Maderas is a volcano in Nicaragua. With a height of , it is the smaller of the two volcanoes which make up the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua. Unlike Concepción, the other volcano on the island, Maderas has not been active in historical tim ...

forest, Nicaragua File:Small seepage pond near the top of Cerro El Chino - ZooKeys-298-077-g004B.jpg, Texiguat Wildlife Refuge Honduras File:Monteverde bosque.jpg,

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve () is a Costa Rican reserve located along the Cordillera de Tilarán within the Puntarenas and Alajuela provinces. Named after the nearby town of Monteverde and founded in 1972, the Reserve consists of ove ...

, Costa Rica. File:DirkvdM cloudforest-jungle.jpg,

Parque Internacional la Amistad La Amistad International Park, or in Spanish , formerly La Amistad National Park, is a transboundary protected area in Latin America, management of which is shared between Costa Rica ( Caribbean La Amistad and Pacific La Amistad Conservation Area ...

, Panama Central America is part of the Mesoamerican

, boasting 7% of the world's

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

. The

Pacific Flyway The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading ...

is a major north–south

flyway A flyway is a flight path used by large numbers of birds while migrating between their breeding grounds and their overwintering quarters. Flyways generally span continents and often pass over oceans. Although applying to any species of migrat ...

for

migratory birds Bird migration is a seasonal movement of birds between breeding and wintering grounds that occurs twice a year. It is typically from north to south or from south to north. Migration is inherently risky, due to predation and mortality. The ...

in the Americas, extending from

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego (, ; Spanish for "Land of Fire", rarely also Fireland in English) is an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the South America, South American mainland, across the Strait of Magellan. The archipelago consists of the main is ...

. Due to the funnel-like shape of its land mass, migratory birds can be seen in very high concentrations in Central America, especially in the spring and autumn. As a bridge between North America and South America, Central America has many species from the

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...

and the

Neotropical realm The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...

s. However the southern countries (Costa Rica and Panama) of the region have more biodiversity than the northern countries (Guatemala and Belize), meanwhile the central countries (Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador) have the least biodiversity. The table below shows recent statistics: Over 300 species of the region's flora and fauna are threatened, 107 of which are classified as critically endangered. The underlying problems are

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

, which is estimated by

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition ...

at 1.2% per year in Central America and Mexico combined, fragmentation of

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

s and the fact that 80% of the vegetation in Central America has already been converted to agriculture. Efforts to protect fauna and flora in the region are made by creating

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

s and nature reserves. 36% of Belize's land territory falls under some form of official protected status, giving Belize one of the most extensive systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas. In addition, 13% of Belize's marine territory are also protected. A large coral reef extends from Mexico to Honduras: the

Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS), also popularly known as the Great Mayan Reef or Great Maya Reef, is a marine region that stretches over along the coasts of four countries – Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras – from Isla Co ...

. The

Belize Barrier Reef The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly offshore in the north and in the south within the country limits. The Belize Barrier Reef is a long section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, ...

is part of this. The Belize Barrier Reef is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, and is one of the most diverse

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) is a system formed by Organism, organisms in interaction with their Biophysical environment, environment. The Biotic material, biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and en ...

s of the world. It is home to 70 hard coral species, 36

soft coral Alcyonacea is the old scientific order name for the informal group known as "soft corals". It is now an unaccepted name for class Octocorallia. It became deprecated . The following text should be considered a historical, outdated way of treatin ...

species, 500 species of fish and hundreds of

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

species. So far only about 10% of the species in the Belize barrier reef have been discovered.

Flora

National flowers

File:Lycaste virginalis forma Alba.jpg, ''

Lycaste skinneri ''Lycaste skinneri'', also known as ''Lycaste virginalis'', is a species of epiphyte Orchidaceae, orchid that resides in the south of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, at an average altitude of 1650 meters above sea level. Description ...

'', Guatemala File:Yucca - ‘Daga española’ (7625319272).jpg, Izote flower, El Salvador File:Rhyncholaelia digbyana (16395522643).jpg, ''

Rhyncholaelia digbyana ''Rhyncholaelia digbyana'' is a species of epiphytic orchid occurring from Honduras to Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Costa Rica. ''Rl. digbyana'' can be distinguished from the other species of ''Rhyncholaelia'' ('' Rl. glauca'') by the frilled l ...

'', Honduras File:Frangipani flower.jpg, ''

Plumeria ''Plumeria'' (), also known as frangipani, is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Rauvolfioideae, of the family Apocynaceae. Most species are deciduous shrubs or small trees. The species are native to the Neotropical realm (in Mexico, ...

'', Nicaragua File:A and B Larsen orchids - Cattleya skinneri 574-24.jpg, ''

Guarianthe skinneri ''Guarianthe skinneri'' (known as ''Guaria morada'' in Costa Rica) is a species of orchid. It is native to Costa Rica, from Chiapas to every country in Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boun ...

'', Costa Rica File:Peristeria elata Orchi 11.jpg, ''

Peristeria elata ''Peristeria elata'' is a species of orchid occurring from Central America to Panama, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It is the type species of its genus. It is commonly referred to as the Holy Ghost orchid, dove orchid, or flower of the Holy Spirit in E ...

'', Panama File:Encyclia cochleata - flower.jpg, ''

Prosthechea cochleata ''Prosthechea cochleata'', commonly referred to as the clamshell orchid or cockleshell orchid, is an epiphytic, sympodial New World Orchidaceae, orchid native to Central America, the West Indies, Colombia, Venezuela, and southern Florida. It is ...

'', Belize

National trees

File:Ceiba, the Maya Tree of Life Laslovarga01.JPG, ''

Ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to Tropics, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to northern Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall ...

'', Guatemala File:Enterolobium cyclocarpum in Guanacaste.jpg, ''

Enterolobium cyclocarpum ''Enterolobium cyclocarpum'', commonly known as conacaste, guanacaste, caro caro, devil's ear tree, monkey-ear tree, or elephant-ear tree, is a species of flowering tree in the family Fabaceae, that is native to tropical regions of the America ...

'', Costa Rica File:Maquilishuat en flor.jpg, ''

Tabebuia rosea ''Tabebuia rosea'', also called pink poui, and rosy trumpet tree is a neotropical tree that grows up to and can reach a diameter at breast height of up to . The Spanish name ''roble de sabana'', meaning "savannah oak", is widely used in Costa R ...

'', El Salvador File:Árbol Panamá - Sterculia apetala - Árbol Nacional de Panamá 01.JPG, ''

Sterculia apetala ''Sterculia apetala'', the Panama tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is found in Florida, southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America, and has been introduced to the Caribbean islands. ''Sterculia a ...

'', Panama File:Pinus oocarpa, San Rafael del Norte, Nicaragua.jpg, ''

Pinus oocarpa ''Pinus oocarpa'' is a species of pine tree native to Mexico and Central America. It is the national tree of Honduras, where it is known as ocote. Common names include ocote chino, pino amarillo, pino avellano, Mexican yellow pine, egg-cone pine ...

'', Honduras File:Calycophyllum candidissimum in Managua.jpg, ''

Calycophyllum candidissimum ''Calycophyllum candidissimum'', the degami, dagame, or lemonwood, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rubiaceae, native to southern Mexico, Cuba, Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela. It is found in the ecoregion of Central America ...

'', Nicaragua File:A big Mahogany tree.jpg, ''

Swietenia macrophylla ''Swietenia macrophylla'', commonly known as mahogany, Honduran mahogany, Honduras mahogany, or big-leaf mahogany is a species of plant in the Meliaceae family. It is one of three species that yields genuine mahogany timber (Swietenia), the ot ...

'', Belize From 2001 to 2010, of forest were lost in the region. In 2010 Belize had 63% of remaining forest cover, Costa Rica 46%, Panama 45%, Honduras 41%, Guatemala 37%, Nicaragua 29%, and El Salvador 21%. Most of the loss occurred in the moist forest

biome A biome () is a distinct geographical region with specific climate, vegetation, and animal life. It consists of a biological community that has formed in response to its physical environment and regional climate. In 1935, Tansley added the ...

, with . Woody vegetation loss was partially set off by a gain in the coniferous forest biome with , and a gain in the dry forest biome at . Mangroves and deserts contributed only 1% to the loss in forest vegetation. The bulk of the

was located at the Caribbean slopes of Nicaragua with a loss of of forest in the period from 2001 to 2010. The most significant regrowth of of forest was seen in the coniferous woody vegetation of Honduras.

Montane forests

The

Central American pine-oak forests Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

ecoregion, in the

tropical and subtropical coniferous forests Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a tropical forest habitat (ecology), habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. These forests are found predominantly in North America, North and Central America and experience low level ...

biome, is found in Central America and southern Mexico. The Central American pine-oak forests occupy an area of , extending along the mountainous spine of Central America, extending from the

in Mexico's

state through the highlands of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to central Nicaragua. The pine-oak forests lie between elevation, and are surrounded at lower elevations by

tropical moist forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in large ...

and

tropical dry forests The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...

. Higher elevations above are usually covered with Central American montane forests. The Central American pine-oak forests are composed of many species characteristic of temperate North America including

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

fir Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

, and

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs from the ''Cupressus'' genus of the '' Cupressaceae'' family, typically found in temperate climates and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. The word ''cypress'' ...

Laurel forest Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and el ...

is the most common type of Central American temperate evergreen

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, Montane forest, montane, Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist forest characteri ...

, found in almost all Central American countries, normally more than above sea level. Tree species include

evergreen oak Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are generally not more closely related to each other than they are to ot ...

s, members of the

laurel family Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide. They are dicotyledons, and occur mainly in warm temperate and tr ...

, species of ''

Weinmannia ''Weinmannia'' is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Cunoniaceae. It contains 90 species, which range from Mexico through Central and South America including the Caribbean, and to the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius and Réunion) in the weste ...

'' and ''

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

'', and ''

Drimys granadensis ''Drimys granadensis'' is a broadleaf evergreen tree of family Winteraceae. it is native to tropical montane forests from Peru to southern Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northe ...

''. The cloud forest of

Sierra de las Minas Sierra de las Minas is a mountain range in eastern Guatemala which extends 130 km west of the Lake Izabal. It is 15–30 km wide and bordered by the valleys of the Polochic River in the north and the Motagua River in the south. Its we ...

, Guatemala, is the largest in Central America. In some areas of southeastern Honduras there are cloud forests, the largest located near the border with Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, cloud forests are situated near the border with Honduras, but many were cleared to grow coffee. There are still some temperate evergreen hills in the north. The only cloud forest in the Pacific coastal zone of Central America is on the

Mombacho Mombacho is a stratovolcano in Nicaragua, near the city of Granada. It is high. The Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve is one of 78 protected areas of Nicaragua. Mombacho’s last eruption occurred in 1570. There is no historical knowledge of earl ...

volcano in Nicaragua. In Costa Rica, there are laurel forests in the Cordillera de

Tilarán Tilarán is a small town and a district in Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica. It is the seat of the Tilarán Canton located in the hills overlooking the west shore of Lake Arenal. It is connected by road to El Silencio, and by the 142 road down ...

and Volcán Arenal, called

Monteverde Monteverde is the twelfth Cantons of Costa Rica, canton of the Puntarenas Province, Puntarenas Provinces of Costa Rica, province of Costa Rica, located in the Cordillera de Tilarán (Tilarán range). Roughly a four-hour drive from the Costa Rica ...

, also in the

. The Central American montane forests are an ecoregion of the

tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in la ...

biome, as defined by the

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...

. These forests are of the moist deciduous and the semi-evergreen seasonal subtype of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and receive high overall rainfall with a warm summer

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...

and a cooler winter dry season. Central American montane forests consist of forest patches located at altitudes ranging from , on the summits and slopes of the highest mountains in Central America ranging from Southern Mexico, through Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, to northern Nicaragua. The entire ecoregion covers an area of and has a

temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ra ...

with relatively high

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

levels.

Fauna

National birds

File:Male Resplendent Quetzal.jpg,

Resplendent quetzal The resplendent quetzal (''Pharomachrus mocinno'') is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in tropical forests, particularly montane cloud forests. They are part of the family Trogonidae and have two recognized s ...

, Guatemala File:Eumomota superciliosa.jpg,

Turquoise-browed motmot The turquoise-browed motmot (''Eumomota superciliosa'') is a colourful, medium-sized bird of the motmot family, Momotidae. It inhabits Central America from south-east Mexico (mostly the Yucatán Peninsula), to Costa Rica, where it is common and n ...

, El Salvador and Nicaragua File:Keel-billed toucan.jpg,

Keel-billed toucan The keel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos sulfuratus''), also known as sulfur-breasted toucan, keel toucan, or rainbow-billed toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of National symbols of Belize, Bel ...

, Belize File:Scarlet-Macaw.jpg,

Scarlet macaw The scarlet macaw (''Ara macao'') also called the red-and-yellow macaw, red-and-blue macaw or red-breasted macaw, is a large yellow, red and blue Neotropical parrot native to humid evergreen forests of the Americas. Its range extends from south ...

, Honduras File:Turdus grayi 4zz.jpg,

Clay-colored thrush The clay-colored thrush (''Turdus grayi'') is a common Middle American bird of the thrush family (Turdidae). It is the national bird of Costa Rica, where it is well known as the ''yigüirro'' ( Spanish: ). Other common names include clay-colore ...

, Costa Rica File:Harpy Eagle.jpg,

Harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a large Neotropical realm, neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea Harpy Eagle, New Guin ...

, Panama Ecoregions are not only established to protect the forests themselves but also because they are habitats for an incomparably rich and often endemic fauna. Almost half of the bird population of the

Talamancan montane forests The Talamancan montane forests ecoregion, in the tropical moist broadleaf forest biome, are in montane Costa Rica and western Panama in Central America. Setting The Talamancan montane forests cover a discontinuous area of in Cordilleran mount ...

in Costa Rica and Panama are endemic to this region. Several birds are listed as threatened, most notably the

resplendent quetzal The resplendent quetzal (''Pharomachrus mocinno'') is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in tropical forests, particularly montane cloud forests. They are part of the family Trogonidae and have two recognized s ...

(''Pharomacrus mocinno''),

three-wattled bellbird The three-wattled bellbird (''Procnias tricarunculatus'') is a Central American migratory bird of the cotinga family. The sexes are very dissimilar in appearance. The male has a white head and throat and the remaining plumage is chestnut brown. ...

(''Procnias tricarunculata''),

bare-necked umbrellabird The bare-necked umbrellabird (''Cephalopterus glabricollis'') is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae. It is found in the Talamancan montane forests of Costa Rica and Panama. Bare-necked umbrellabirds live only in forests and their diet c ...

(''Cephalopterus glabricollis''), and

black guan The black guan (''Chamaepetes unicolor'') is a species of bird in the chachalaca, guan, and curassow family Cracidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The black guan shares the genus ''Chamaepetes'' with the sic ...

(''Chamaepetes unicolor''). Many of the amphibians are endemic and depend on the existence of forest. The

golden toad The golden toad (''Incilius periglenes'') is an extinct species of true toad that was once abundant in a small, high-altitude region of about in an area north of the city of Monteverde, Costa Rica. It was endemic to elfin cloud forest. Also c ...

that once inhabited a small region in the Monteverde Reserve, which is part of the Talamancan montane forests, has not been seen alive since 1989 and is listed as extinct by IUCN. The exact causes for its extinction are unknown. Global warming may have played a role, because the development of that frog is typical for this area may have been compromised. Seven small mammals are endemic to the Costa Rica-Chiriqui highlands within the Talamancan montane forest region.

Jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large felidae, cat species and the only extant taxon, living member of the genus ''Panthera'' that is native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the biggest cat spe ...

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, KOO-gər''), also called puma, mountain lion, catamount and panther is a large small cat native to the Americas. It inhabits North America, North, Central America, Cent ...

spider monkey Spider monkeys are New World monkeys belonging to the genus ''Ateles'', part of the subfamily Atelinae, family Atelidae. Like other atelines, they are found in tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Brazil. The g ...

s, as well as

tapir Tapirs ( ) are large, herbivorous mammals belonging to the family Tapiridae. They are similar in shape to a Suidae, pig, with a short, prehensile nose trunk (proboscis). Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, South and Centr ...

s, and

anteater Anteaters are the four extant mammal species in the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue"), commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with sloths, they ar ...

s live in the woods of Central America. The

Central American red brocket The Central American red brocket (''Mazama temama'') is a species of brocket deer ranging from southern Mexico, through Central America, to northwestern Colombia. Taxonomy In 1792 Robert Kerr originally described it as a unique separate spec ...

is a brocket deer found in Central America's tropical forest.

Geology

Central America is geologically very active, with

volcanic eruptions A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior h ...

and earthquakes occurring frequently, and

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...

s occurring occasionally. Many thousands of people have died as a result of these natural disasters. Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate. This

tectonic plate Plate tectonics (, ) is the scientific theory that the Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates, which have been slowly moving since 3–4 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of , an idea developed durin ...

converges with the Cocos,

Nazca Nazca (; sometimes spelled Nasca; possibly from ) is a city and system of valleys on the southern coast of Peru. The city of Nazca is the largest in the Nazca Province. The name is derived from the Nazca culture, which flourished in the area be ...

, and

North American North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the sou ...

plates to form the

Middle America Trench The Middle America Trench is a major subduction zone, an oceanic trench in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the southwestern coast of Middle America, stretching from central Mexico to Costa Rica. The trench is 1,700 miles (2,750 km) long an ...

, a major

subduction Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at the convergent boundaries between tectonic plates. Where one tectonic plate converges with a second p ...

zone. The Middle America Trench is situated some off the Pacific coast of Central America and runs roughly parallel to it. Many large earthquakes have occurred as a result of seismic activity at the Middle America Trench. For example, subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate at the Middle America Trench is believed to have caused the

1985 Mexico City earthquake The 1985 Mexico City earthquake struck in the early morning of 19 September at 07:17:50 (CST) with a Moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 8.0 and a maximal Modified Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). The ev ...

that killed as many as 40,000 people. Seismic activity at the Middle America Trench is also responsible for earthquakes in

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's ...

1942 The Uppsala Conflict Data Program project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 4.62 million. However, the Correlates of War estimates that the prior year, 1941, was th ...

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

, January 2001, February 2001,

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

, and many other earthquakes throughout Central America. The Middle America Trench is not the only source of seismic activity in Central America. The

Motagua Fault The Motagua Fault (also, Motagua Fault Zone) is a major, active fault, active left lateral-moving transform fault which cuts across Guatemala. It forms part of the tectonic boundary between the North American plate and the Caribbean plate. It i ...

is an onshore continuation of the

Cayman Trough The Cayman Trough (also known as the Cayman Trench, Bartlett Deep and Bartlett Trough) is a complex transform fault zone pull-apart basin which contains a small spreading ridge, the Mid-Cayman Rise, on the floor of the western Caribbean Sea bet ...

which forms part of the tectonic boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. This

transform fault A transform fault or transform boundary, is a fault (geology), fault along a plate boundary where the motion (physics), motion is predominantly Horizontal plane, horizontal. It ends abruptly where it connects to another plate boundary, either an ...

cuts right across Guatemala and then continues offshore until it merges with the Middle America Trench along the Pacific coast of Mexico, near

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...

. Seismic activity at the Motagua Fault has been responsible for earthquakes in

1717 Events January–March * January 1 – Count Carl Gyllenborg, the Swedish ambassador to the Kingdom of Great Britain, is arrested in London over a plot to assist the Pretender to the British throne, James Francis Edward Stuart. * J ...

1773 Events January–March * January 1 – The hymn that becomes known as '' Amazing Grace'', at this time titled "1 Chronicles 17:16–17", is first used to accompany a sermon led by curate John Newton in the town of Olney, Buck ...

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

, and

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

. Another onshore continuation of the Cayman Trough is the

Chixoy-Polochic Fault The Chixoy-Polochic Fault, also known as Cuilco-Chixoy-Polochic Fault, is a major fault zone in Guatemala and southeast Mexico. It runs in a light arc from the east coast of Guatemala to Chiapas, following the deep valleys of the Polochic River, ...

, which runs parallel to, and roughly to the north, of the Motagua Fault. Though less active than the Motagua Fault, seismic activity at the Chixoy-Polochic Fault is still thought to be capable of producing very large earthquakes, such as the 1816 earthquake of Guatemala.

Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...

, the capital of Nicaragua, was devastated by earthquakes in

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

and

. Volcanic eruptions are also common in Central America. In 1968 the

Arenal Volcano Arenal Volcano () is an inactive andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. The Arenal volcano measures at least high. ...

, in Costa Rica, erupted killing 87 people as the 3 villages of Tabacon, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis were buried under pyroclastic flows and debris. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lava have made it possible to sustain dense populations in the agriculturally productive highland areas.

Politics

Leaders

File:Retrato oficial de Presidente Bernardo Arévalo (cropped 4).jpg,

Bernardo Arévalo César Bernardo Arévalo de León (; born 7 October 1958) is a Guatemalan diplomat, sociologist, writer, and politician serving as the 52nd and current president of Guatemala since 2024. A member and co-founder of the Movimiento Semilla, Semill ...

Guatemala File:Presidente Bukele (cropped).jpg,

Nayib Bukele Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez (; born 24 July 1981) is a Salvadoran politician and businessman who has served as the 81st president of El Salvador since 2019. In 1999, Bukele established an advertising company and worked at an advertising com ...

El Salvador File:Xiomara Castro 2022 (cropped).jpg,

Xiomara Castro Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento (; born 30 September 1959), also known as Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, is a Honduran politician and businesswoman who has served as the 39th president of Honduras since 2022. She is the country's first List of elected ...

Honduras File:Daniel Ortega 2014 (cropped).jpg,

Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; ; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguan politician and dictator who has been the president of Nicaragua, co-president of Nicaragua since 18 February 2025, alongside his wife Rosario Murillo. He was the 54th an ...

Nicaragua File:CCC CPerez 87 .jpg,

Rosario Murillo Rosario María Murillo Zambrana (; born 22 June 1951) is a Nicaraguan politician and poet, who is serving as co-president of Nicaragua along with her husband, President Daniel Ortega, since February 2025. Before this, she served as the vice ...

Nicaragua File:Rodrigo Chaves, discurso posesión (cropped).jpg,

Rodrigo Chaves Robles Rodrigo Alberto de Jesús Chaves Robles (; born 10 June 1961) is a Costa Rican politician and economist who is the 49th and current President of Costa Rica since 2022. He was previously Ministry of Finance (Costa Rica), Minister of Finance from ...

Costa Rica File:José Raúl Mulino (호세 라울 물리노) 20241112.jpg,

José Raúl Mulino José Raúl Mulino Quintero (born 13 June 1959) is a Panamanian politician, diplomat and lawyer serving as the 39th president of Panama since 2024. He ran for president in the 2024 Panamanian general election, 2024 Panamanian election, which he ...

Panama File:Johnny Briceño (52135383761) (cropped).jpg,

Johnny Briceño John Antonio Briceño (born 17 July 1960) is a Belizean politician who is the fifth and current prime minister of Belize since 12 November 2020 and the leader of the People's United Party (PUP) since 2016. He was Leader of the Opposition from 2 ...

Belize

Integration

Central America is currently undergoing a process of political, economic and cultural transformation that started in 1907 with the creation of the

Central American Court of Justice The Central American Integration System (, or SICA) has been the economic and political organization of Central American states since 1 February 1993. On 13 December 1991, the ODECA countries (Spanish: ''Organización de Estados Centroamericano ...

. In 1951 the integration process continued with the signature of the San Salvador Treaty, which created the ODECA, the Organization of Central American States. However, the unity of the ODECA was limited by conflicts between several member states. In 1991, the integration agenda was further advanced by the creation of the

(''Sistema para la Integración Centroamericana'', or SICA). SICA provides a clear legal basis to avoid disputes between the member states. SICA membership includes the 7 nations of Central America plus the

, a state that is traditionally considered part of the Caribbean. On 6 December 2008, SICA announced an agreement to pursue a common currency and common passport for the member nations. No timeline for implementation was discussed. Central America already has several supranational institutions such as the

Central American Parliament The Central American Parliament (), also known as PARLACEN, is the political institution and parliamentary body of the Central American Integration System (SICA). Its headquarters are in Guatemala City. History The PARLACEN's origins date b ...

, the

Central American Bank for Economic Integration The Central American Bank for Economic Integration - CABEI ( BCIE in Spanish) was founded in 1960. It is an international multilateral development financial institution. Its resources are invested in projects that foster development to reduce pov ...

and the

Central American Common Market The Central American Integration System (, or SICA) has been the economic and political organization of Central American states since 1 February 1993. On 13 December 1991, the ODECA countries (Spanish: ''Organización de Estados Centroamericano ...

. On 22 July 2011, President

Mauricio Funes Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena (18 October 1959 – 21 January 2025) was a Salvadoran politician and journalist who served as the 79th president of El Salvador from 2009 to 2014. Funes won the 2009 presidential election as the candidate of t ...

of El Salvador became the first president ''pro tempore'' to SICA. El Salvador also became the headquarters of SICA with the inauguration of a new building.

Parliament

The Central American Parliament (aka PARLACEN) is a political and parliamentary body of SICA. The parliament started around 1980, and its primary goal was to resolve conflicts in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Although the group was disbanded in 1986, ideas of unity of Central Americans still remained, so a treaty was signed in 1987 to create the Central American Parliament and other political bodies. Its original members were Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. The parliament is the political organ of Central America, and is part of SICA. New members have since then joined including Panama and the Dominican Republic. Costa Rica is not a member State of the Central American Parliament and its adhesion remains as a very unpopular topic at all levels of the Costa Rican society due to existing strong political criticism towards the regional parliament, since it is regarded by Costa Ricans as a menace to democratic accountability and effectiveness of integration efforts. Excessively high salaries for its members, legal immunity of jurisdiction from any member State, corruption, lack of a binding nature and effectiveness of the regional parliament's decisions, high operative costs and immediate membership of Central American Presidents once they leave their office and presidential terms, are the most common reasons invoked by Costa Ricans against the Central American Parliament.

Foreign relations

Until recently, all Central American countries maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of China. President Óscar Arias of Costa Rica, however, established diplomatic relations with China in 2007, severing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. After breaking off relations with the Republic of China in 2017, Panama established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. In August 2018, El Salvador also severed ties with Taiwan to formally start recognizing the People's Republic of China as sole China, a move many considered lacked transparency due to its abruptness and reports of the Chinese government's desires to invest in the department of La Union while also promising to fund the ruling party's reelection campaign. The President of El Salvador,

, broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established ties with China. On 9 December 2021, Nicaragua resumed relations with the PRC.

Economy

File:Banco deGuatemala.JPG, Bank of Guatemala, Central Bank of Guatemala File:World Trade Center San Salvador.jpg, World Trade Center San Salvador File:BCH.jpg, Central Bank of Honduras File:Maqueta del Banco Central de Nicaragua.jpg, Central Bank of Nicaragua File:Banco Nacional de Panamá, en vía España de la ciudad de Panamá.jpg, National Bank of Panama File:Belizean Central Bank 2015.jpg, Central Bank of Belize Federal Republic of Central America 1835 4 Escudos

Federal Republic of Central America 1835 4 Escudos

Signed in 2004, the Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement, Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is an agreement between the United States, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the

. The treaty is aimed at promoting free trade among its members. Guatemala has the largest economy in the region. Its main exports are coffee, sugar, bananas, petroleum, clothing, and cardamom. Of its 10.29 billion dollar annual exports, 40.2% go to the United States, 11.1% to neighboring El Salvador, 8% to Honduras, 5.5% to Mexico, 4.7% to Nicaragua, and 4.3% to Costa Rica. The region is particularly attractive for companies (especially clothing companies) because of its geographical proximity to the United States, very low wages and considerable tax advantages. In addition, the decline in the prices of coffee and other export products and the structural adjustment measures promoted by the international financial institutions have partly ruined agriculture, favouring the emergence of maquiladoras. This sector accounts for 42 per cent of total exports from El Salvador, 55 per cent from Guatemala, and 65 per cent from Honduras. However, its contribution to the economies of these countries is disputed; raw materials are imported, jobs are precarious and low-paid, and tax exemptions weaken public finances. They are also criticised for the working conditions of employees: insults and physical violence, abusive dismissals (especially of pregnant workers), working hours, non-payment of overtime. According to Lucrecia Bautista, coordinator of the ''maquilas'' sector of the audit firm Coverco, "labour law regulations are regularly violated in maquilas and there is no political will to enforce their application. In the case of infringements, the labour inspectorate shows remarkable leniency. It is a question of not discouraging investors." Trade unionists are subject to pressure, and sometimes to kidnapping or murder. In some cases, business leaders have used the services of the Mara (gang), maras. Finally, black lists containing the names of trade unionists or political activists are circulating in employers' circles. Economic growth in Central America is projected to slow slightly in 2014–15, as country-specific domestic factors offset the positive effects from stronger economic activity in the United States.

Tourism

Coasts

File:Playa Blanca Guatemala.jpg, Playa Blanca Guatemala File:Playa de Corral de Mulas, Usulután, El Salvador - panoramio.jpg, Jiquilisco Bay, El Salvador File:Roatan West End 95 we 006.jpg, Roatán, Honduras File:Pink Pearl Island-5.jpg, Pink Pearl Island Nicaragua File:Costa Rica Playa Tamarindo and Rivermouth 2007 Aerial Photograph Tamarindowiki 01.JPG, Tamarindo, Costa Rica, Tamarindo, Costa Rica File:Insel Zapatilla Panama.jpg, Cayos Zapatilla, Panama File:Corozal Beach, Corozal, Belize.jpg, Corozal Beach, Belize Great Blue Hole

Tourism in Belize has grown considerably in more recent times, and it is now the second largest industry in the nation. Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow has stated his intention to use tourism to combat poverty throughout the country. The growth in tourism has positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry. The results for Belize's tourism-driven economy have been significant, with the nation welcoming almost one million tourists in a calendar year for the first time in its history in 2012. Belize is also the only country in Central America with English as its official language, making this country a comfortable destination for English-speaking tourists. Costa Rica is the most visited nation in Central America. Tourism in Costa Rica is one of the fastest growing economic sectors of the country, having become the largest source of foreign revenue by 1995. Since 1999, tourism has earned more foreign exchange than bananas, pineapples and coffee exports combined. The tourism boom began in 1987, with the number of visitors up from 329,000 in 1988, through 1.03 million in 1999, to a historical record of 2.43 million foreign visitors and $1.92-billion in revenue in 2013. In 2012 tourism contributed with 12.5% of the country's GDP and it was responsible for 11.7% of direct and indirect employment. Tourism in Nicaragua has grown considerably recently, and it is now the second largest industry in the nation. Nicaraguan President

has stated his intention to use tourism to combat poverty throughout the country. The growth in tourism has positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry. The results for Nicaragua's tourism-driven economy have been significant, with the nation welcoming one million tourists in a calendar year for the first time in its history in 2010.

Transport

Roads

The Inter-American Highway is the Central American section of the Pan-American Highway, and spans between Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and Panama City, Panama. Because of the break in the highway known as the Darién Gap, it is not possible to cross between Central America and South America in an automobile.

Waterways

Ports and harbors

Airports

Railways

Demographics

Life expectancy

List of countries by life expectancy at birth for 2023, according to the World Bank Group.

Capital cities

File:Ciudad Cayala - Guatemala City.jpg, Guatemala City File:Panoramica del Centro Histórico de San Salvador.jpg, San Salvador File:Tegucigalpa view in october 2021.jpg, Tegucigalpa File:Panoramica De Managua.jpg,

File:4- Vue San Jose.jpg, San Jose, Costa Rica File:HDR of Panama City, Panama.jpg, Panama City File:Aerials Belize WHwy 02.jpg, Belmopan The population of Central America is estimated at as of . With an area of , it has a population density of . Human Development Index values are from the estimates for 2017.

Languages

The official language majority in all Central American countries is Spanish language, Spanish, except in Belize, where the official language is English language, English. Mayan languages constitute a language family consisting of about 26 related languages. Guatemala formally recognized 21 of these in 1996. Xincan languages, Xinca, Miskito language, Miskito, and Garifuna language, Garifuna are also present in Central America.

Ethnic groups

Preparing for 2019 Seattle Fiestas Patrias Parade - 40 - women with flags

This region of the continent is very rich in terms of ethnic groups. The majority of the population is mestizo, with sizable Mayan and African descendent populations present, along with numerous other indigenous groups such as the Miskito people. The immigration of Arabs, Jews, Chinese, Europeans and others brought additional groups to the area.

Religious groups

Cathedrals

File:CatedralGuatemala.jpg, Cathedral of Guatemala City Guatemala File:CATEDRAL DE LA INMACULADA CONCEPCION, MANAGUA - panoramio.jpg, Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Managua Nicaragua File:Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador.png, San Salvador Cathedral El Salvador File:Metropolitan Cathedral in San Jose, Costa Rica.jpg, Metropolitan Cathedral of San José Costa Rica File:Iglesia Catedral de Panama.jpg, Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama City Panama File:CATEDRAL DE TEGUCIGALPA - panoramio.jpg, Tegucigalpa Cathedral Honduras File:HRrubenFromEast fixed.jpg, Holy Redeemer Cathedral Belize The predominant religion in Central America is Christianity (95.6%). Beginning with the Spanish colonization of Central America in the 16th century, Catholic Church, Catholicism became the most popular religion in the region until the first half of the 20th century. Since the 1960s, there has been an increase in other Christian groups, particularly Protestantism, as well as other religious organizations, and individuals identifying themselves as having no religion. Source: Jason Mandrik, Operation World Statistics (2020). *Protestantism in Central America also include Independent Christian, most of total Protestants in this region (+80%) are Evangelicals, the rest follow traditional beliefs. *Other Christian include Other Traditional Churches (Orthodox, Episcopalian, etc.) and contemporary churches (Mormons, Adventists, Scientology, etc.), also include Non-denominational Christian who are the most numerous group, specially in Guatemala.

Education

* List of architecture schools#Central America, List of architecture schools in Central America * List of universities in Belize * List of universities in Costa Rica * List of universities in El Salvador * List of universities in Guatemala * List of universities in Honduras * List of universities in Nicaragua * List of universities in Panama

Culture

Art

File:JacaltecBrocade.jpg, Guatemalan textiles File:KunaWomanWithMolas.jpg, Mola (art form), Mola, Panama File:Mercaditode Artesanias en el Centro Historico de Santa Ana.JPG, El Salvador La Plama art form

National dishes

File:Cocinando El Pepian.jpg, Pepián Guatemala File:Baleada.jpg, Baleada Honduras File:Pupusas El Salvador Centro America.JPG, Pupusa El Salvador File:SANCOCHO.jpg, Sancocho Panama File:Gallo Pinto at breakfast.jpg, Gallo pinto Costa Rica File:Nacatamal assembled.jpg, Nacatamal Nicaragua File:Rice and Beans, Stew Chicken and Potato Salad - Belize.jpg, Rice and beans Belize * Central American music * Latin American cuisine#North America, Central American cuisine * List of cuisines of the Americas#Central American cuisine, List of cuisines of the Americas – Central American cuisine

Sport

* Central American Games * Central American and Caribbean Games ** 1926 Central American and Caribbean Games – the first time this event occurred * Central American Football Union * Surfing#In Central America, Surfing

Notes

References

External links

(archived 14 March 2007) * Central America.
Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online
'. 2006. New York: Columbia University Press. * Consuelo Hernández, Hernández, Consuelo (2009). Reconstruyendo a Centroamérica a través de la poesía. ''Voces y perspectivas en la poesia latinoamericana del siglo XX''. Madrid: Visor.
Central America Video Links
from th
Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives

Central America country pages

Teaching Central America
{{Authority control Central America,

Definitions

History

Flags of modern Central America

Coats of arms of modern Central America

Geography

Biodiversity

Central American forests

Flora

National flowers

National trees

Montane forests

Fauna

National birds

Geology

Politics

Leaders

Integration

Parliament

Foreign relations

Economy

Tourism

Coasts

Transport

Roads

Waterways

Ports and harbors

Airports

Railways

Demographics

Life expectancy

Capital cities

Languages

Ethnic groups

Religious groups

Cathedrals

Education

Culture

Art

National dishes

Sport

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links